Kanekichi Nikuhitsu
Kanekichi Nikuhitsu (肉筆兼吉,' 'Nikuhitsu Kanekichi) is a defected shinobi of Konohagakure. He is one of the last two surviving heirs of his clan alongside his sister, Miyabi Nikuhitsu. After learning the truth behind the demise of his parents, Kanekichi sets out to exact revenge. He joins Team Shizue after graduating from the Ninja Academy, although little is seen of his teammates until the Chunin Exams. Prevented from his defection from the village and presumed dead, Kanekichi is taken in by Orochimaru and trained until he faces Miyabi for a rematch. Kanekichi is a Naruto original character who belongs to kanceir (Nea) on Deviantart. Current appearance previews were made using the Mega Anime Avatar Creator on Rinmarugames. They will be replaced with original art in time. (Page and story info under heavy construction and revision.) Background Through the simple fate of human nature, the Nikuhitsu clan grew to be smaller and smaller throughout the generations. Although the clan played an important role during the Warring States Period, their significance faded as time went on and eventually their involvement was forgotten altogether, both to the village and to the clan. To put it briefly, the twins named Miyabi and Kanekichi Nikuhitsu were orphaned a mere year after birth due to the mysterious death of their widowed mother, Seri Moriyama. Their isolated living was supported by bare village funds brought together to maintain their clan's barren compound, which Miyabi would later vehemently refuse the demolition of when she came of age to make the decision. Due to this simulation of solitary confinement, both twins grew into very reserved children who spoke very little to anyone but each other. This granted them a wary reputation amoung those who came into regular contact with them, such as the vendors at the marketplace, the social security workers who came to check up on them every so often, and the tutor sent to provide their basic education. Until their enrollment in the Ninja Academy, Miyabi and Kanekichi could rarely be differentiated, both in mannerisms as well as appearances. They'd taken to the same hobbies, the same interests, the same behaviours, et cetera. However, once introduced to the public youth at the academy, they seemed to split apart instantaneously. Miyabi became, as described by Kanekichi, "harsh and overbearing" (a disposition that would earn her the nickname "Scary Face"), whereas Kanekichi sought out any opportunity to separate himself from his sister. As Miyabi began to grow out her hair, Kanekichi cut off all of his in spite. They gradually grew further apart from each other as they drifted into different social classifications. Kanekichi was readily accepted by the other boys at the academy, while Miyabi remained detached. Kanekichi watched his sister's degeneration into a delinquent from afar, silently pitying her, but doing nothing to stop her from her own self-destruction. Meanwhile, he went about his own training and made few attempts to reconnect with his sister. It wasn't until Miyabi approached him with Eisen in tow that they finally rekindled their relationship. Much to his embarrassment, Kanekichi was on the verge of tears as those years of separation finally got to him. He, Miyabi, and Eisen became close during the weeks of cooperative training that ensued, and remained that way even after they were put into different teams after graduating. Personality In his childhood, Kanekichi was reserved and timid to a degree. Even after making friends at the academy, he continued to be withdrawn and seldom went anywhere but the academy and the clan compound, save for when he trained. He worked hard alongside his sister to become stronger any chance he got, often engaging in lighthearted rivalry with Miyabi to test their skills against each other. He enjoyed a good challenge and strove to outdo himself, although he was a bit of a perfectionist. He would often train for hours at a time to perfect one skill, even losing sleep just to keep working. This instilled worry in others for his health, but he showed no regard for his lack of sleep or the meals he would sometimes skip. He appeared visibly perturbed by Miyabi's constant attempts to "protect" him, which often hindered him more than it helped. After discovering the truth about his parents' deaths, Kanekichi's hard-working, perfectionist disposition shifted into something akin with obsession. During Miyabi's absence on her mission in the Land of Snow, Kanekichi broke into the sealed crypt that he and Miyabi had agreed not to enter before they both decided they were ready to learn their clan's secrets. Stealing the scripture found there for himself, he fled the village in pursuit of his own idea of justice. He refused to acknowledge this act as the betrayal that Miyabi accused him of during their ensuing encounter, instead proclaiming it a "necessary measure in the name of justice". His boasts and insistence that what he planned to do was right were quickly developing into hysteria, and Miyabi approached him in an attempt to calm him down, but he mistook it for an attack and immediately went on the offensive. After the battle which left him on the brink of death, he sustained severe head trauma, inducing amnesia that made him forget the majority of his life right up until the battle with his sister. Nursed back to health by Orochimaru and under the impression that Miyabi was out to kill him, he let his own sense of betrayal and spite fester, completely forgetting his desire for the revenge of his parents. Orochimaru filled his mind with delusions that Miyabi was an enemy to Konoha as well as to himself, and Kanekichi readily accepted the Cursed Seal placed upon him with the thought that it was a gift in compensation for his trials. Once he began his training under Orochimaru's tutelage, he met Sasuke Uchiha, whom he had no memory of from the village and showed confusion when Sasuke claimed to recognize him (vaguely). Disregarding that initial encounter, Kanekichi began to idolize Sasuke, and although he felt inferior to Sasuke in every regard, he possessed a strong urge to surpass the other and gain the attention Orochimaru lavished him with. The combination of trauma, amnesia, and manipulation that Kanekichi underwent, as well as the physical strain of his Cursed Seal, caused Kanekichi to devolve into pure mania by the time he confronted Miyabi for the second time, having abandoned his apprenticeship to Orochimaru due to impatience. He refused to believe anything she told him, exhibiting a worrisome conflict in emotion when he begins to cry and laugh at the same time as he battles his sister. In the final moment of his death, however, Kanekichi whispers nothing more than an apology, suggesting that he may very well have been compos mentis for at least some of the time after their first battle. Appearance Taking after his sister, Kanekichi is short in stature, but possesses a body thin and lithe enough (although his health is questionable) that it allowed him to become abnormally flexible. He has dark skin and curly hair, which appears more so in his latter years than his childhood, and his eyes are the same pale blue as Miyabi's. His eyebrows are stunted, giving him a perpetual "puppy dog face" and he has freckles across his nose and cheeks. As a genin, he wore a short-sleeved mesh shirt beneath a black jacket that he kept closed, plain black pants and standard blue sandals. He wore his headband traditionally: around his forehead. During the Interlude in which Kanekichi trains with Orochimaru, Kanekichi is seen primarily wearing a mesh shirt beneath a long-sleeved, cropped black shirt, black pants, and black sandals. He appears to have discarded his Konoha headband entirely. In Part II, after leaving Orochimaru, Kanekichi is shown to wear a plain black yukata with the purple rope belt common to Orochimaru's followers tied around his waist and a pair of geta. He wears a katana strapped to his back and is seen once smoking a cigarette. He retains a scar across his face from his head injury after falling off the cliff and he has cut his hair shorter. He also gained a stud piercing in each ear. His curse mark is shown briefly to be located on the left side of his neck. Abilities Kanekichi's progression of skill throughout the plot is steady, showing a drastic increase after his training with Orochimaru. Although lacking the Ink Release kekkei genkai of his maternal lineage, Kanekichi possesses the Nikuhitsu clan's Storm Release, at which he shows acute proficiency. However, he was hardly on par with shinobi of true strength such as his idol, Sasuke. He eoverhears Orochimaru confess to Kabuto that he had only taken Kanekichi under his wing in order to study his kekkei genkai. He abandoned Orochimaru after learning this, realizing that he would never achieve the strength he had been led to believe he would find by Orochimaru's side. His ultimate defeat at Miyabi's hands, although a courageous battle, is a testament to how little he had grown in comparison to his sister, and he laments his lost opportunities. Cursed Seal Although his inherent abilities show little growth through the plot, after Kanekichi is branded with Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Earth, he is able to rely almost entirely on the transformation he undergoes. When active, the cursed seal absorbs his own chakra and replaces it with a larger amount of Orochimaru's, in turn increasing his strength and speed. He activates his seal very early in his battle with Miyabi, unknowingly draining his strength faster than if he had used his own chakra. When he activates the transformation, his hair pales and grows into long, thick curls, his skin turns reddish-grey, and he gains a black, mask-like marking across his eyes. The sclerae of his eyes turn black, drastically outlining his blue irises, and a crown-like set of horns grow around his head. Ninjutsu Kanekichi's ninjutsu appears to be limited almost entirely to his Storm Release, however he does exhibit capability to use Fire Release after his reappearance in Part II. Although he doesn't seem to have learned very much at all during his time with Orochimaru, he shows extensive development in the jutsu he already knew, as well as a few stronger variations of those other jutsu. Kenjutsu Kanekichi's primary capability stems from his use of the katana. He is able to conduct electricity into his blade as well as coat his blade in flames by using unnamed jutsu. He shows great skill in wielding his sword in conjunction with his flexibility. Nature Transformation Kanekichi possesses Lightning Release, Water Release, Storm Release, and Fire Release chakra natures. He is mostly shown using Storm Release, while little is seen of the other three on their own, Stats Part I Prologue wip. Chunin Exams wip. Konoha Crush wip. Uncovering the Mystery Kanekichi and Miyabi discover the truth about Seri Moriyama's and Seiji Nikuhitsu's deaths. wip. Pursuit of Kanekichi Kanekichi flees the village and is pursued by Miyabi. wip. Clash of Blood Kanekichi is confronted by Miyabi at a cliff at the border of the Land of Fire and he tells her that he intends to exact revenge on those responsible for their parents' deaths. Miyabi tries and fails to convince him that the path of revenge has never led to satisfaction, using the defection of Sasuke Uchiha as an example, and they proceed to battle until Kanekichi is knocked unconscious and falls off the cliff. wip. A Reluctant Alliance Fatally wounded and on the brink of death, Kanekichi is found and taken in by Orochimaru, who nurses him back to health and offers assistance in Kanekichi's search for revenge, while Kanekichi is oblivious to the fact that Orochimaru is the one responsible for his parents' deaths. wip. Interlude During the three-year interval between Part I and Part II, Kanekichi trains under Orochimaru's tutelage, harnessing his new abilities and cultivating his skills. Part II Kiyomizu Temple Happening upon Miyabi during her visit to Kiyomizu Temple while on reconnaissance, Kanekichi observes from afar as Miyabi accesses the Scroll of Enlightenment. Once Miyabi leaves the temple, Kanekichi mimics her procedure of accessing the scroll and learns its secrets for himself, destroying it afterward. An Unexpected Reunion Once confident in his abilities, Kanekichi seeks out Miyabi and lures her away from the village by using his Body Flicker Technique. He then challenges her, stating that if she does not wish to join his cause, then she is a traitor to their family, and he claims that if she defeats and kills him, then she will be consumed by the same need for revenge as he possessed. wip. Trivia * The name "Kanekichi" means "many constellations". * Kanekichi did not inherent a maternal kekkei genkai like his sister, suggesting that he lacked the qualities of strong family ties that ran in the Moriyama clan. * According to the Databook(s): ** Kanekichi's hobby was swordfighting. ** Miyabi's favourite food was lotus tempura, while his least favourite food was Japanese curry rice. Quotes wip.Category:DRAFT__FORCETOC__